Spring door closer



Nov. 26, 1946. F PFENT 2,411,635

SPRING DOOR CLOSER Filed Feb. 24, 1945 Patented Nov. 26, 1946 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE v Frank Pfent, st. Cla/ir, Mich. Application February 24, 1945, Serial No. 579,616

This invention relates to door closers and particularly those of the type adapted to close a door by expansion of a spring compressed by the door, in opening. Y o' Y Objects of the invention are to provide in a simple manner for regulating the spring stress; to compensate for the y variation in the force exerted by the spring as itt-expands; to adapt the doorcloser by an adjustment to certain different types of'doors; and to obtain a smooth action by adapting the spring-compressing element of the actuator to swivelly respond to opening and closing of the door. y

These and various other objects are attained by theconstruction hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, where- Fig. 1 is a fragmentary interior View of a screen door in closed position showing my closer applied and sectionally showing a portion of the door frame which mounts the closer. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the same taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, additionally showing' in dash lines the position of the closer when the door is opened. f Y f Referring now more particularly to these views and first describing the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the reference character I designates a screen door hinged at 2 to the jamb 3 of a door frame. Mymechanism for closing said door comprises a bell crank fulcrumed at 4 and having a long power arm and a short work arm 6, respectively normally extending upwardly from the fulcrum and from the latter toward the door. The fulcrum-'forming bolt 4 is carried bya head 1 formed on the upper end of a pin 8, said head being downwardly slotted at 9 to accommodate the arms 5 and 6 yat their juncture. The pin 8 is `swiveled in a bearing VII) xed on a shank II projecting into theY doorway from the jamb 3 and clamped by a set screw I2 in a bracket I3 secured by screws I4 to said jamb. The shank II isof a length to afford some adjustment (preferably about an inch) in and outoi the bracket and in many installations a hole I5 willobe drilled in the jamb to accommodate an excess length of saidshank. Underlying the bearing I0 is the head of abolt I6 screwed upwardly into said bearing and providing alsupport for the lower end of the pin 8, said end being convexly rounded to minimize friction. The bolt IB is so adjusted as to hold -the head 1 slightly spaced above the bearing I0. An elongated open frame I'I, preferably of an inverted U-shape, straddles the head 'I and is clamped to the latter by the bolt 4 12 claims. (c1. 11i-so)v 2 and projects upwardly from said head to form a slide bearing for the upper end portion of an inclined rod I8 and to further form an upper seat for aspring I9 coiled on said rod. The work arm of Vthe bell crank is terminally formed with an upwardly open socket 20 in which is set the reduced and rounded lower end ofthe rod I8. A nut 2l threaded on said rod adjacent to its reduced lower end supports a washer 2;2 providing a lowerseat for the spring IS, adjustment of said nut regulating compression of the spring. A wire link 23 forms a swinging connection from the upper end of the arm 5 to a keeper 24 swiveled on the door, said keeper having a flange 25 notched to accommodate the link and the latter being formed with a terminal head 26 seating upwardly against the flange 25. This permits of a quick and easy connection of the device to or its disconnection from a door. In use of the described construction, the link 23, when the door is closed, inclines acutely to the .arm 5' in extending downwardlyv therefrom, theincluded angle being preferably about twenty five degrees.. Opening actuation of the door progressivelyincreases this angle which becomes aboutninety degrees 'when the door is fully open, as per dash line showing in Fig. 2. Hence the power arm of the bell' crank is swung down as the door opens and the work arm is raised, compressing the spring and sliding the rod I8 upwardly through'the top of the frame I'I.f Upon release of the door, expansion of the spring returns the bell crank toits normal position, and the door is closed by the wire link. The expansive effort of the spring Ais gradually applied so that the door closes at av moderate speed and does not slam. It will be noted that the leverage Yaiorded the spring by the work arm is. a maximum'when lthe door isclosed-"and diminishes progressively as the door is opened. This tends toward derivation of a' uniform force from the spring since its degree of compression increases in proportion to opening of the door. Swiveling of the `pin 8 in the bearing -I 0 adapts the bell crank and frame II to readily adjusi-l themselves to various vpositions of the door and assures a free and noiseless action of the device. v Adjustability of the shankI I in the bearing I0 is useful in adapting the device to doors of vdifferent thickness. Whena door has swung slightlyr beyond itsopen position, the wire link 23 assumes a limiting position flat against the door. As applied to a thickmdoor,-thewiretends to reach this position sooner than in the case of a thin one, and this tendency may be overcome by ad- 3 justing the shank I I outwardly in the bracket What I claim is:

1. In a door closer, the combination with a frame member and a door member hinged to said frame member, of a bracket xed on one of said members, a support swivelly carried by said bracket to turn about an axis substantially parallel to the hinge axis, a lever pivoted on said support to rock about an axis substantially transverse to that of the support, said lever forming a work arm and a relatively long power arm, a swinging connection extending from the power arm to the other of said members for rocking the lever as the door member is opened, and a spring carried by said bracket and compressed against said work arm to resist swinging of the lever incident to opening of the door member.

2. A door closer as set forth in claim l, said power arm extending in approximate parallelism to the hinge axis in the closed position of the door member.

3. In a door closer as set forth in claim 1, a bracket anchoring said swinging connection to the member to which said connection extends said bracket being swiveled to accommodate itself to said connection.

4. In a door closer as set forth in claim 1, a bearing wherein said support is swiveled, and means for mounting the bearing on said bracket at a selective distance from the bracket.

5. In a door closer, the combination with a frame member and a door member hinged to said frame member, of a bracket xed on one of said members, a bearing carried by said bracket establishing a swivel axis substantially parallel to the hinge axis of the door member, a pin swiveled in said bearing, a support ixed on said pin exteriorly of said bearing, an adjusting screw set into said bearing and terminally engaging said pin to hold said support clear of the bearing, a lever pivoted on said support to rock about an axis substantially transverse to that of the support, said lever forming a Work arm and a relatively long power arm, a swinging connection extending from the power arm to the other of said members for rocking the lever as the door member is opened, and a spring carried by said bracket and compressed against said work arm to resist swinging of the lever incident to opening of the door member,

6. In a door closer, the combination with a frame member and a door member hinged to said frame member, o f a bracket xed on one of said members, a support swivelly carried by said bracket to turn about an axis substantially parallel to the hinge axis, a lever pivoted on said support to rock about an axis substantially transverse to that of the support, said lever forming a work arm and a relatively long power arm, a swinging connection extending from the power arm to the other of said members for rocking the lever as the door is opened, a coiled spring having one end acting upon the work arm to resist swinging of the lever incident to opening of the door, and an abutment for the other end of said spring xed upon the swiveled support.

V'7. In a door closer as set forth in claim 6, a rod extended through the coiled spring and slidable in said abutment, said rod having an extremity seated against the work arm and an abutment carried by said rodY and transmitting the thrust of the spring to the work arm.

8. In a door closer, the combination with a frame member and a door member hinged to said frame member, of a bracket fixed on one of said members, a bearing carried by said bracket establishing a swivel axis, a pin swiveled in said bearing, a support fixed on said pin exteriorly of said bearing, an adjusting screw set into said bearing and terminally engaging said pin to hold said support clear of the bearing, a lever pivoted on said support to rock about an axis substantially transverse to that of the support, said lever forming a work arm and a relatively long power arm, a swinging connection extending from the power arm to the other of said members for rocking the lever as the door member is opened, and

a spring carried by said bracket and compressed against said work arm to resist swinging of the lever incident to opening of the door member.

9. In a door closer, the combination with a frame member and a door member hinged to said frame member, of a `bracket fixed on one of said members, a support swivelly carried by said bracket, a lever pivoted on said support to rock about an axis substantially transverse to that of the support, said lever forming a work arm and a relatively long power arm, a swinging connection extending from the power arm to the other of said members for rocking the lever as the door is opened, a coiled spring having one end acting upon the work arm to resist swinging of the lever incident to opening of the door, and an abutment for the other end of said spring xed upon the swiveled support,

10. In a door closer, the combination with a frame member and a door member` hinged to said frame member, of a bracket xed on one of said members, a support swivelly carried by said bracket, an elongated open frame of an approximate U shape having its corresponding ends fixed on said support, said frame projecting from the support along the extended swivel axis of the support, a lever pivoted on the support to rock about an axis substantially transverse to said swivel axis, said lever forming a work arm and a'relatively long power arma connection from the other of said members to the power arm of saidrlever for rocking the lever as the door is opened, and a coiled spring compressed between the work arm and the yoke end of said frame to resist swinging of the lever incident to opening of the door member.

11. In a door closer as set forth in claim 10, a rod pivotally engaging said work arm and slidable in the yoke end of the U-shaped frame to position said spring,

12. In a door closer, the combination with a. frame member and a door member hinged to the frame member, of a bracket xed on said frame member and having a portion adjustable to and from the frame member, a support swivelly carried by the adjustable portion of said bracket, a lever pivoted on the support to'rock about an axis substantially transverse to the swivel axis of the support, said lever comprising a power arm and a work arm, a connection from the doormember to said power arm for rocking the lever as the door member is opened, and a spring carried by the swiveled support and lcompressed against said work arm to resist swinging of the lever incident to opening of the door member.

FRANK PFENT. 

